FAQ: How does TZM view our major social problems today?

TZM is very different from the majority of Activist Communities or Political/Social Movement’s today due to the way it views the majority of the societal problems common to the world.

In short, the Social System itself is considered the root cause, with Human Behavior and its resulting effects – corruption, pollution, wars, waste, exploitation and hence distortion of values and psychology – seen as symptoms of this fundamental root source.

Modern psychological and sociological study has found that human actions are susceptible to environmental influence. What is rewarded by the culture tends to be perpetuated. For example, it is commonly considered a “moral” issue when a corporation engages in deliberate pollution to save money. Many outcry that the corporation’s people must be “corrupt” who would allow for such a thing. The flaw, however, is in the assumption. If we exist in a system that allows us to “save money” and hence be more “economically efficient” by being exploitation, abusive or indifferent, why should we not expect it to occur, especially in a system based on competition where advantage is always sought?

In other words, “corruption” is being reinforced. Therefore the solution is not more “laws” to try and stop this behavior. The solution is to create a social system that doesn’t reinforce or reward such behavior at all. Laws are mere “patches” that work against the internal logic of the system as it stands.

And while TZM does have Food Drives and other programs working to ease the stress that is inherent to our current social model (which is, again, considered the fundamental cause of the 1 billion starving, unemployment, the depletion of resources and outrageous amounts of pollution and waste), it does not consider such actions as solutions for these only address “symptoms”. We see the shift of the social system as the true needed fix, hence changing people’s values and behaviors.

Much more could be said on this issue. Please review our materials for more examples of how the current social order – specifically economic – is the root cause of the majority of our problems and defines our lack of sustainability.